I learn strength coaching in order to improve myself. As Stef likes to say (quote), "When one teaches, two learn." Teaching is a way of measuring my own mastery of the material. Actually I think I would be the world's worst strength coach if I did it as a profession. I *enjoy* learning this stuff and *like* teaching other people who are interested. I couldn't tolerate even a single "I'd rather use the adductor machine" even if somebody were paying me well! I hear Jonathan Sullivan is a pretty good ER physician! Really I just wanted my first post on the forums to be a response to this article since it's so good and I want to keep coming back to it.
This is actually something I always wanted to ask about. If you aren't willing to be measured and accountable, you don't really want to do something. So if I am coaching middle ages guys (or girls) in my demographic, I tried to work out that a good rate of progress would be
1st six months = 2x initial weight
2nd six months = 2.5x initial weight
2nd year = 3x initial weight
3rd year = 3.25x???
I would actually *like* to have some firmer numbers around this. That way everybody can agree whether things are "working" or not. Plus I could use it as a good barometer of my own progress. It often *feels* like I'm making good progress... adding weight almost every week.... but unless I go back to notebooks from a year ago, how do I really know?
My current numbers (1RM estimate):
SQ: 305
Bench: 240
DL: 340
Age:45, weight 189
I'd like to think I could get to a 1k powerlifting total this year (only about a 10% increase or an annual 20% rate). There are definitely weeks when I think this is too easy of a goal and others when I feel like I'm out of my mind.